Image processing is a process by which input image data can be altered. For example, image processing may be used to change the color space of a digital image. Image processing may be implemented in conjunction with a printing device in order to adjust the color appearance or perceived sharpness of an image according to the specifications of the printing device. Image processing is typically performed on an image processing pipeline over which the image data is transmitted to output hardware, such as a printing device.
Typically, the input hardware determines the input image resolution, and the output hardware determines the output image resolution. At some point over the image processing pipeline, the resolution of the image is changed and the image is processed. In order to generate an output image, it is necessary to determine the resolution in which to perform the image processing.
Image processing may be performed at a number of resolutions: the input resolution, the output resolution, an intermediate resolution, a standard resolution, or any other resolution. When selecting the resolution in which to perform image processing, a number of factors must be considered and weighed. For example, a higher resolution provides better image quality, while a lower resolution provides increased efficiency and less computation time. Furthermore, using a fixed resolution may improve image processing pipeline design. These and other factors describe the trade-offs presented in image processing given input and output resolutions, and other pipeline and human visual constraints.